System F

System F is one of the best-known aliases of Dutch trance DJ and producer Ferry Corsten, alongside Gouryella. The name is said to come from his systematic production method, which always starts with a melody, then adds bass and kick — the “F” standing for fantastic, fabulous, Ferry.

The first single under this pseudonym, Out Of The Blue, was completed in 1998 and released in March 1999 on the Tsunami label; before its official release, limited promo vinyls were sent to DJs such as Nick Warren (Way Out West) and Pete Tong, leading to a deal sealed with the latter at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam and subsequent worldwide distribution on several labels.

In February 2000 the vocal track Cry, produced with Robert Smit and performed by Saskia Lie-Atjam, was released on Tsunami. The debut album, Out Of The Blue, appeared in November 2000 and featured collaborations including Marc Almond (formerly of Soft Cell) on Soul on Soul and Armin Van Buuren on Exhale.

In 2001 Ferry composed the Dance Valley theme, included on a reissue of Out Of The Blue; tracks such as Solstice, Needlejuice, Soul on Soul and Exhale were also issued as singles.

In 2003 Spaceman was released on Tsunami Special Blend, and a second album, Together, was issued exclusively for the Japanese market on Avex Trax. That same year a second collaboration with Armin Van Buuren, From The Heart, was released on Armind and appeared on Armin’s album 76.

The last original System F track, Ignition, Sequence, Start, first appeared on Avex Trax in 2003 and then on Tsunami in 2004. Under this alias Ferry also produced remixes, notably A Theme From Banginglobe by Yoji Biomehanika and Connected and Kanariya by Ayumi Hamasaki.

Ferry Corsten stopped producing as System F after 2003, dropped all his aliases except Gouryella, thereafter released music under his own name and left the Tsunami label in 2005 to found his own record company.